1948
Pekka Antero Vasala, Finland, middle-distance runner. Pekka Vasala won the gold medal for 1,500m at the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games, running 3:36.33, the world's fastest time for the year.
Showing posts with label 1948. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 1948. Show all posts
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
December 22 Birthdays
1931
Gisela Birkemeyer (nee Köhler), Germany, hurdles. Running 10.9, Gisela Köhler was the silver medalist in the women's 80m hurdles at the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympics, finishing 0.2 seconds behind Australia's Shirley Strickland de la Hunty. Back in Olympic competition in 1960 (Rome), Köhler won bronze in the 80m hurdles with a 11.13.
1948
Don Kardong, United States, long distance. Don Kardong finished fourth at the 1976 (Montréal) Olympic marathon in 2:11:15, competing on a U.S. Olympic marathon team that included Frank Shorter (2nd, 2:10:45) and Bill Rodgers (40th, 2:25:14). Kardong won the prestigious Peachtree Road Race in 1976 and the Honolulu Marathon in 1978. Founding the Association of Road Racing Athletes, Kardong set out to replace the remnants of the amateur system in road racing with a more realistic professionalism. Kardong also served as president of the Road Runners Club of America from 1996 to 2000 and has written extensively about running, signing my copy of his book Thirty Phone Booths to Boston.
1971
Khalid Yusuf Abdurahman Khannouchi, United States, long distance. Born in Morocco where he began his athletic career, Khalid Khannouchi moved to the United States in 1992 and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. Khannouchi set a world record in the marathon of 2:05:42 at Chicago in 1999, and lowered the record to 2:05:38 at London in 2002. He is a four-time winner of the Chicago Marathon and a two-time winner of Atlanta's Peachtree Road Race.
1981
Marina Kuptsova, Russia, high jump. In the women's high jump at the 2003 (Paris) World Championships, Marina Kuptsova placed second behind South Africa's Hestrie Cloete (2.06m), leaping 2.00m for the silver medal.
Gisela Birkemeyer (nee Köhler), Germany, hurdles. Running 10.9, Gisela Köhler was the silver medalist in the women's 80m hurdles at the 1956 (Melbourne) Olympics, finishing 0.2 seconds behind Australia's Shirley Strickland de la Hunty. Back in Olympic competition in 1960 (Rome), Köhler won bronze in the 80m hurdles with a 11.13.
1948
Don Kardong, United States, long distance. Don Kardong finished fourth at the 1976 (Montréal) Olympic marathon in 2:11:15, competing on a U.S. Olympic marathon team that included Frank Shorter (2nd, 2:10:45) and Bill Rodgers (40th, 2:25:14). Kardong won the prestigious Peachtree Road Race in 1976 and the Honolulu Marathon in 1978. Founding the Association of Road Racing Athletes, Kardong set out to replace the remnants of the amateur system in road racing with a more realistic professionalism. Kardong also served as president of the Road Runners Club of America from 1996 to 2000 and has written extensively about running, signing my copy of his book Thirty Phone Booths to Boston.
1971
Khalid Yusuf Abdurahman Khannouchi, United States, long distance. Born in Morocco where he began his athletic career, Khalid Khannouchi moved to the United States in 1992 and became a U.S. citizen in 2000. Khannouchi set a world record in the marathon of 2:05:42 at Chicago in 1999, and lowered the record to 2:05:38 at London in 2002. He is a four-time winner of the Chicago Marathon and a two-time winner of Atlanta's Peachtree Road Race.
1981
Marina Kuptsova, Russia, high jump. In the women's high jump at the 2003 (Paris) World Championships, Marina Kuptsova placed second behind South Africa's Hestrie Cloete (2.06m), leaping 2.00m for the silver medal.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
October 8 Birthdays
1939
Elvīra Ozoliņa, Soviet Union, javelin thrower. Competing for the Soviet Union, Latvian Elvīra Ozoliņa won a gold medal in the women's javelin throw at the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games.
1947
Emiel Puttemans, Belgium, distance runner. Puttemans set a world record of 8:17.8 in the two mile in 1971, which he followed up with world records of 7:37.6 for 3,000m and 13:13.0 in 1972. At the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games he finished second in the men's 10,000m behind the great Lasse Virén, running 27:39.58. He also place fifth in the 5,000m (13:30.8) at Munich.
1948
Benjamin Cheever, United States, writer. Benjamin Hale Cheever is a novelist who has written a book about running--Strides: Running Through History With an Unlikely Athlete--which I hope to finish reading one day.
1974
Koji Murofushi, Japan, hammer thrower. After many regional successes, Koji Alexander Murofushi won a silver medal in the men's hammer throw at the 2001 (Edmonton) World Championships with a toss of 82.92m. He threw 80.12 to win bronze at the 2003 (Paris) World Championships, and then won gold with a throw of 82.91m at the 2004 (Athens) Olympic Games. Returning to Olympic competition in 2008 (Beijing), he threw 80.71m for the bronze medal.
1975
Tatiana Grigorieva, Australia, pole vaulter. Born in Russia, Tatiana Grigorieva emigrated to Australia in 1997, where she took up pole vaulting. She quickly gained international prominence, winning a bronze medal in the women's pole vault at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships with a vault of 4.45m. Back in her own country, she vaulted 4.55m to win a silver medal at the 2000 (Sydney) Olympic Games. At the 2002 (Manchester) Commonwealth Games she won a gold medal in the pole vault, and won a silver medal in an unsuccessful bid to defend her title at the 2006 (Melbourne) Commonwealth Games.
1977
Reese Hoffa, United States, shot put. Reese Hoffa won the men's shot put at the 2007 (Osaka) World Championships with a mark of 72' 3-3/4" (22.04m).
Elvīra Ozoliņa, Soviet Union, javelin thrower. Competing for the Soviet Union, Latvian Elvīra Ozoliņa won a gold medal in the women's javelin throw at the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games.
1947
Emiel Puttemans, Belgium, distance runner. Puttemans set a world record of 8:17.8 in the two mile in 1971, which he followed up with world records of 7:37.6 for 3,000m and 13:13.0 in 1972. At the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games he finished second in the men's 10,000m behind the great Lasse Virén, running 27:39.58. He also place fifth in the 5,000m (13:30.8) at Munich.
1948
Benjamin Cheever, United States, writer. Benjamin Hale Cheever is a novelist who has written a book about running--Strides: Running Through History With an Unlikely Athlete--which I hope to finish reading one day.
1974
Koji Murofushi, Japan, hammer thrower. After many regional successes, Koji Alexander Murofushi won a silver medal in the men's hammer throw at the 2001 (Edmonton) World Championships with a toss of 82.92m. He threw 80.12 to win bronze at the 2003 (Paris) World Championships, and then won gold with a throw of 82.91m at the 2004 (Athens) Olympic Games. Returning to Olympic competition in 2008 (Beijing), he threw 80.71m for the bronze medal.
1975
Tatiana Grigorieva, Australia, pole vaulter. Born in Russia, Tatiana Grigorieva emigrated to Australia in 1997, where she took up pole vaulting. She quickly gained international prominence, winning a bronze medal in the women's pole vault at the 1999 (Seville) World Championships with a vault of 4.45m. Back in her own country, she vaulted 4.55m to win a silver medal at the 2000 (Sydney) Olympic Games. At the 2002 (Manchester) Commonwealth Games she won a gold medal in the pole vault, and won a silver medal in an unsuccessful bid to defend her title at the 2006 (Melbourne) Commonwealth Games.
1977
Reese Hoffa, United States, shot put. Reese Hoffa won the men's shot put at the 2007 (Osaka) World Championships with a mark of 72' 3-3/4" (22.04m).
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
September 23 Birthdays
1936
Rink Babka, United States, discus thrower. Richard Babka reached the high point of his discus career in August of 1960, when he set a world record of 196' 6" in the event and then won a silver medal in the men's discus throw at the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games, placing behind the great Al Oerter.
1948
Vera Nikolić, Yugoslavia, middle-distance runner. In 1968 Nikolić set a world record in the women's 800m of 2:00.5. She broke her own record in 1971, running 2:00.0. The record was broken later that year by West Germany's Hildegard Falck, who went on to win gold in the 800m at the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games, a race in which Nikolić finished fourth in 1:59.6.
1962
Jack Pierce, United States, hurdler. Pierce won a silver medal at the 1991 (Tokyo) World Championships in the 110m hurdles (13.06), a bronze medal at the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic Games in the 110m hurdles (13.26), and a bronze medal at the 1993 (Stuttgart) World Championships in the 100m hurdles (13.06).
Rink Babka, United States, discus thrower. Richard Babka reached the high point of his discus career in August of 1960, when he set a world record of 196' 6" in the event and then won a silver medal in the men's discus throw at the 1960 (Rome) Olympic Games, placing behind the great Al Oerter.
1948
Vera Nikolić, Yugoslavia, middle-distance runner. In 1968 Nikolić set a world record in the women's 800m of 2:00.5. She broke her own record in 1971, running 2:00.0. The record was broken later that year by West Germany's Hildegard Falck, who went on to win gold in the 800m at the 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games, a race in which Nikolić finished fourth in 1:59.6.
1962
Jack Pierce, United States, hurdler. Pierce won a silver medal at the 1991 (Tokyo) World Championships in the 110m hurdles (13.06), a bronze medal at the 1992 (Barcelona) Olympic Games in the 110m hurdles (13.26), and a bronze medal at the 1993 (Stuttgart) World Championships in the 100m hurdles (13.06).
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